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Tutorial: Make padded seatbelt covers out of Dollar Tree potholders

by 2 Comments

potholderseatbeltcoversIf the edges of the seatbelts in your car are uncomfortable to your children, you can cover the hard edges with a seatbelt cover.  You can buy them from a baby store, or just follow the instructions by Care from Obsessively Stitching and make a set out of kitchen potholders.  Because the potholders are already padded and finished at the edges, it actually takes very little sewing to transform them into seatbelt covers.  (And potholders are readily available at the dollar store, which makes them an economical alternative the the already-made ones at the baby store.)  Genius!!  Get the how-to.

[photo from Obsessively Stitching]

Potholders also known as Heat pads are perfect little weeknight projects. Perfect for scrap fabrics and small handmade gifts that will actually be used in the kitchen. If you love hot pads as much as I do, then you may want to check out some of our favorite designs for sewing patterns we found on Etsy.

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Comments

  1. Be careful not to make them too thick or too loose so that the straps slide inside the cover – that could be a serious safety issue.

    Reply

  2. Unfortunately this is super unsafe. If you’re looking for strap covers for your car seat please contact your seat manufacturers.

    Reply

Have you read?

Learn All About Sewing Velvet Fabric

 

I’m always tempted by the pretty velvets at the fabric store.  So much texture!  And the way the fibers catch the light!  But sewing on velvet is trickier than you’d think.  That nap that lends beautiful texture also likes to slip and crawl.  That nap can also spell disaster if you cut a piece the wrong direction.  That isn’t to say you shouldn’t use buy that velvet and sew it into something gorgeous, you just need to go into your velvet sewing project prepared.  And Melissa at Melly Sews has a post that takes you step by step through sewing on velvet. 

Velvet is such a luscious fabric, especially for winter sewing projects.  Of course there are velvet Christmas sewing projects – stockings, tree skirts, santa hats – but velvet is beautiful for all winter.  Think of all the gorgeous velvet dresses, evening bags, hair accessories, even pillows and other home décor that you see all winter long. 

Melly Sews’ post gives you the tips and tricks you need to know in order for your velvet sewing project to end up a success.  There are types of projects better suited for velvets, and kinds of projects to avoid.  She describes the different types of velvet available.  And she also tells the best way to lay out and cut your pattern pieces from velvet fabric.  Her tutorial also covers marking, pressing, and of course sewing that beautiful fabric.  There’s also a video included in case that’s your preferred method for learning.

Head over to Melly Sews to learn how to sew on velvet fabric. 

And if you want to learn more about that lovely blue velvet dress shown, she has a post that tells more about it including 2 ways to style it depending on if you want to be more dressy or more casual.

[photo credit: Melly Sews]

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